Thanks for James O’Neal’s extremely interesting story on the history of AM radio (“In 1941, Stations Confronted ‘Moving Day’” Nov. 18). The KOB part was particularly interesting as I live in New Mexico.
In 1971 I participated in widening the cardioid notch going from Albuquerque to New York City to satisfy WABC. The CE of KOB had to appear at a hearing in Washington as an expert witness about this time. He said he was walking down a hall with their attorney and asked, “Don’t you get tired of this case?” The attorney replied, “Absolutely not. It paid for my kids’ educations and now it’s paying for their kids’ educations.”
The old RCA water-cooled 10 kW transmitter and the air-cooled 50 kW amplifier from KOB are in a privately owned museum here in Farmington, open by appointment; the owner is always glad to have broadcasters visit. There are several other transmitters (Gates, Collins and Western Electric) as well as a GE TV transmitter and much more old broadcasting equipment.
The museum is the Bolack Electromechanical Museum; see www.bolackmuseum.com.
Ron Nott
Vice President of Engineering
Nott Ltd.
Farmington, N.M.
